Film Review: ‘A Tale of Winter,’ Pining Away

It is the second installment of Eric Rohmer’s cinematic quartet thematically linked by the four seasons and the closest he came to producing a Christmas movie.
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Frédéric van den Driessche and Charlotte Véry play separated lovers in Eric Rohmer's "A Tale of Winter." (Big World Pictures)
Frédéric van den Driessche and Charlotte Véry play separated lovers in Eric Rohmer's "A Tale of Winter." Big World Pictures

As Félicie, Charlotte Véry rises to the occasion of her big, character-plumbing scenes, but she often feels miscast, which is a slight problem considering she is on-screen nearly every second. Félicie is supposed to be a stunner, prone to impulsiveness, yet still easily capable of juggling multiple men. However, Véry has a somewhat modest screen presence.

Regardless, she still comes across real enough in the moment, even if we can’t quite buy into her as a pseudo-femme fatale. In contrast, Frédéric van den Driessche perfectly embodies the dashing Charles, while Hervé Furic plays the unassuming Loïc as a complicated, fully dimensional person, bookish though he might be. He keeps the film emotionally grounded and selflessly facilitates the big themes that ultimately emerge.

“A Tale of Winter” is a quintessentially Rohmeresque film in that it leaves viewers feeling they have eavesdropped on someone else’s life and maybe gleaned a few lessons from the experience. Arguably, it takes some wild turns down the stretch, but Rohmer makes them look logical and matter-of-fact.

 

A Tale of Winter’

Director: Eric Rohmer
Starring: Charlotte Véry, Frédéric van den Driessche, Michel Voletti
Running time: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Release date: Dec. 19
Not Rated

3.5 stars out of 5

Joe Bendel writes about independent film and lives in New York. To read his most recent articles, please visit www.jbspins.blogspot.com